Design Comfort Blog: Archive for January, 2014

Replacing Your Furnace with a Different System

Tuesday, January 28th, 2014

Has your old reliable gas furnace at last come to the end of the line? It had to happen at some point; no matter how well you maintain a furnace, eventually the years will wear down its components to the point that it must be replaced.

But maybe you’re interested in a change. Instead of installing a new furnace, why not consider one of the other options for your Holladay, UT heating? Here are a few systems that can provide you with excellent warmth this winter. Call Design Comfort today to find out more about your replacement alternatives.

Some options to consider for replacement:

  • Heat pumps: We put this system first because it also uses ductwork to distribute heat, so it is usually a simple job for installers to connect one in place of a furnace. Heat pumps are versatile systems that function as both heaters and air conditioners, which is perfect for the temperature differences in Utah. Because of heat pumps’ more efficient use of energy (they don’t create heat, they only move it), switching to one from a furnace can mean up to 30% savings off your heating bills.
  • Boiler: If you want to switch over from forced-air heating and ductwork to the cleaner power of hydronic heating, a boiler is an excellent choice. Boilers can work from the same natural gas line used for your gas furnace, making them ideal if you still want to benefit from the lower cost of gas. Boilers perform at high efficiency and need few repairs, so they can outlast most other systems.
  • Radiant floor heating: This is also a hydronic system, but instead of using baseboard heaters (or radiators) to send out heat into a room, they use pipes built into the floor to warm up the floorboards themselves. Radiant heating is quiet and creates cozy and even heating. However, they require more construction work to install than other systems because they must be fit into your floors.
  • Ductless mini split heat pumps: This is another option for heat pumps, but they bypass the use of ductwork and instead send heated (or cooled) air directly into rooms through individual wall-mounted blower units. Ductless systems can save you money off heating because you can control the heat in different rooms through the blowers, eliminating the need to heat rooms that aren’t being used.

Whatever system you decide to have installed, make sure that you hire trained professionals to do the work. Our team at Design Comfort  can perform a heat load calculation to help you find the right sized system, and then we’ll install it so you’ll get the full benefit of your new heating in Holladay, UT.

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What to Expect with Radiant Heating Installation

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014

Imagine walking into your home in the early evening after work, on a cold day when the snow on the ground has started to crust over and the chill is seeking any path through the gaps of your parka or woolen mittens to gnaw at your skin. You get through your front door, shut it, and as you pull off the outer layers of clothing you feel a swell of warmth, like the summer sun off a lake, comes from beneath you, starting with tickling through the soles of your shoes and then rising up all around you, leaving no single spot of icy cold anywhere in the air.

This is radiant floor heating. And if you’ve never felt it, it is amazing.

If you want to have this experience in your home, call Design Comfort today. We provide heating system installation in Salt Lake City, UT that includes up-to-date radiant floor heating.

Here’s some of what you can expect from installation.

  • It is labor and time-intensive: If you are having radiant heating installed as part of new construction, you won’t need to think about it much. But if you are retro-fitting a home for this type of heating, it will involve extensive work removing flooring in order to install the heating pipes. Make sure you plan ahead with your installers about when installation will take place.
  • It requires trained technicians: Hand-in-hand with the intensive work involved in installing radiant heating is the skill necessary. Radiant heating installation goes beyond hooking up connections to a unit once it is in place. It involves construction work that must be done with skill and attention to avoid causing damage to your home. This is not “do-it-yourself” work—believe us, you really don’t want to try this on your own.
  • It’s actually not much different from boiler installation: …outside of installing the floor pipes, at least. Radiant floor heating is a hydronic system that uses a hot water tank and water circulation systems that are very close to what you find in a boiler. The installation process is much the same, with tank placement, attachment to the gas line, and linking the pipes. It still requires a trained technician, but it is a relatively simple part of the process.

Are you ready for radiant floor heating installation?

If you are planning a new house, we think you should move radiant floor heating to the top of your list for home comfort options. If you want to retro-fit your current house for radiant heating, consult with experts about how they can do it, and if it is a wise choice.

Contact the heating team at Design Comfort to have all your questions about heating system installation in Salt Lake City, UT answered.

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Benefits of a Humidifier to Your Home

Tuesday, January 14th, 2014

Living in Salt Lake City means dealing with very dry temperatures, especially during the summer. Although humid climates are often very uncomfortable, dry climates bring their own problems as well that range from health issues to furniture damage. Because of the city’s dry climate, we advise many people to install a humidifier in their home to alleviate some of the issues that low humidity can cause.

Design Comfort installs whole-house humidifiers that incorporate into current HVAC systems so that they work with a home’s cooling and heating throughout the year. Look to us whenever you need heating repair service in Salt Lake City, UT or other solutions to your comfort problems.

Reasons a humidifier will help you

  • Improved health: Dry air can create a number of health troubles, such as itchy eyes and frequent nose bleeds. It is especially damaging to skin. In addition to alleviating these problems, a humidifier is also beneficial to your lungs and nasal passages, which will help you heal from common illnesses. For people in your home with asthma and allergies, humidifiers will offer them immense relief. Humidifiers have also been shown to help stop snoring and allow people to sleep better.
  • Less damage to furnishings: At low humidity levels, wallpaper will begin to peel, wooden surfaces on furniture start to crack, and paint chip off all kinds of surfaces. Increasing the humidity is good for your home’s décor in general.
  • Save money with heating: Balanced humidity in your home will make it easier for you to get comfortable with your HVAC system during the winter. You know that you feel hotter with high humidity. It works the opposite way as well: you feel colder in low humidity. A dehumidifier will make your house feel warmer in cold weather, and that means you’ll spend less money running your heater.
  • Reduced static electricity: If static electricity is a constant problem for you—from shocks on doorknobs to rumbled clothes to frizzy hair—a humidifier will reduce the problem.

Schedule professional humidifier installation

Although you can buy small humidifiers for individuals rooms, to get the most balanced indoor humidity requires installing a whole-house unit. This job is technical and requires a professional. Contact Design Comfort for help with getting a whole-house humidifier today. We also repair and replace old, rundown humidifiers. Call us when you need heating repair in Salt Lake City, UT to make this winter more comfortable.

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How Do Zone Control Systems Work?

Friday, January 10th, 2014

If you’ve ever wished you could shut off the air from parts of your house that you don’t use, or if different members of your household are always at odds about how hot or cold the house is, then you should consider having a zone control system installed. “System zoning” offers you a more precise control over how heating and cooling gets sent around your house. It allows for more even temperature distribution and individual fine-tuning for the needs of different people. And it can save you money on your energy bills.

Design Comfort can install a zone control system in your home. If you’re interested in superior heating services in Salt Lake City, UT, contact us today to talk over your options.

How zone control systems work

Zone control systems divide a home into separate zones, which are usually individual rooms, although areas that receive less use might be lumped into a single zone. The installers place dampers in the ductwork that can cut off the flow of conditioned air to particular zones, acting much like valves. These dampers are controlled electronically, and they are hooked up to thermostats. Most systems will have separate thermostats for each zone, but every unit is wired into a central control panel that can operate all of them.

Whenever a zone’s thermostat senses that its region has reached its target temperature, it closes off the damper that accesses the zone. Individuals in separate zones can also manipulate their region’s temperature using the local thermostat.

A simpler use of zone control that people can have installed to help create more even heating in two-story houses is to install one zone downstairs and one upstairs. As one zone reaches the target temperature, the damper closes and sends more air to the other zone, which creates a balance that won’t produce cold or hot spots.

On top of the improved temperature control, zone systems can also save money. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, having zone control installed can save homeowners up to 30% on monthly bills, whether heating or cooling. You no longer have to send conditioned air to guest rooms when they aren’t in use, or heat up a large dining rooms on days when no one eats there.

Call for installation today

After reading this, you will probably know if you have the kind of household that will benefit from zone control or not. For more information, contact Design Comfort. We will look into your home’s requirements for heating and cooling in Salt Lake City, UT and determine how best to set up a zone control system that will keep you and each member of your household happy.

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